It is known that organic compounds and polymeric materials with large delocalized .pi.-electron systems can exhibit nonlinear optical response, which in many cases is a much larger response than by inorganic substrates.
In addition, the properties of organic compounds and polymeric materials can be varied to optimize other desirable properties, such as mechanical and thermoxidative stability and high laser damage threshold, with preservation of the electronic interactions responsible for nonlinear optical effects.
Thin films of organic compounds or polymeric materials with large second order nonlinearities in combination with electronic circuitry have potential as systems for laser modulation and deflection, information control in optical circuitry, and the like.
Other novel processes occurring through third order nonlinearity such as degenerate four-wave mixing, whereby real-time processing of optical fields occurs, have potential utility in such diverse fields as optical communications and integrated circuit fabrication.
Of particular importance for conjugated organic systems is the fact that the origin of the nonlinear effects is the polarization of the .pi.-electron cloud as opposed to displacement or rearrangement of nuclear coordinates found in inorganic materials.
Nonlinear optical properties of organic compounds and polymeric materials was the subject of a symposium sponsored by the ACS division of Polymer Chemistry at the 18th meeting of the American Chemical Society, September 1982. Papers presented at the meeting are published in ACS Symposium Series 233, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. 1983.
The above recited publications are incorporated herein by reference.
Prior art of interest with respect to the present invention are publications relating to organopolysiloxane synthesis such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,716,128; 2,970,150; 3,159,662; 3,483,270; 3,694,478; 4,166,078; 4,336,364: 4,370,365; 4,465,818; 4,472,563; and 4,578,494.
Of particular interest are publications which describe organopolysiloxanes containing olefinically unsaturated substituents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,498,945; 3,932,555; 4,077,937; and 4,530,989.
Of related interest are publications which describe organopolysiloxanes having mesogenic side chain substituents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,358,391 and 4,410,570.
There is continuing interest in the development of organopolysiloxane polymers which exhibit exceptional properties for specialized applications.
There is also a growing interest in the development of new nonlinear optical organic media for prospective novel phenomena and devices adapted for laser frequency conversion, information control in optical circuitry, light valves and optical switches. The potential) utility of organic materials with large second-order and third-order nonlinearities for very high frequency application contrasts with the bandwidth limitations of conventional inorganic electrooptic materials
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide novel compositions which are physical blends of an organopolysiloxane component and a liquid crystalline component.
It is another object of this invention to provide novel nonlinear optical organic media.
It is a further object of this invention to provide optical devices having a nonlinear optical component comprising a transparent solid medium of a physical blend of organopolysiloxane and liquid crystalline polymer components.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent from the accompanying description and examples.
This patent application is related to copending patent application Ser. No. 923,501, filed Oct. 27, 1986.